


This Is Our Summer

by zarrytrash



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Lots of nudity, Mentions of Rape, Smut, Summer Camp AU, also camp rock, but enough, i guess there will be angst, lowkey gonna be like the parent trap, mentions of bulimia, not a lot of it, possibly could maybe be canon, this was a good idea in my head
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-13
Updated: 2016-09-02
Packaged: 2018-08-08 13:55:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7760374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zarrytrash/pseuds/zarrytrash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"What if this is the last time we see each other?" I whispered, twirling his guitar pick between her fingers.<br/>"You know, I'll always come back for you." </p><p>Or, the one where 5SOS are musical guests for the summer at Camp Walden, as well as counselors.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Charlie

Camp Walden was established in 1941 by Richard and Debra Walden. What started off as a country music camp has now been transformed to all inclusive music camp. Camp Walden gives each child an equal chance of finding themselves through music; whether they want to create it, produce it, or sell it, is up to them. As for me, I just want to help others find their calling within music. I've been through the camp and now I'm a counselor. "Charlie, your shoe is untied. You're going to make us fall down the hill with the table." Sarah stopped walking and I stumbled slightly.

"We've got, like, ten steps until we're at the bottom. We can make it." I pulled on the table to get her moving again. We carried the table down the hill and set it up in front of the main lodge. 

"Great, you got the table down. I know, it's quite heavy." Sam, the camp director, grinned as he set a pile of folders on the table. "You girls will be sitting here when the campers arrive. You'll also have to be the look-outs for our special musical guests." Sam smirked.

"What are you talking about?" Sarah asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"It's the 75th anniversary of Camp Walden. We arranged a musical guest to help celebrate. Since you two are my most loyal counselors, you'll be doing group rotations with them. Austin and Audrey will also be with members." Sam informed us.

"Okay, so it's a band with four members. Who are they?" Sarah looked up at Sam.

"You'll know them when you see them. Here comes the first campers, look excited to see them." He chuckled and walked away. Sarah and I sat down at the table. I split up the pile of papers and gave her half. 

"Welcome to Camp Walden!" I grinned, looking at the campers. "What's your last name?" Each camper gave me their names and I gave them their cabin assignments. Sarah nudged my ribs. I looked over at her and cocked my head in confusion.

"A tour bus just pulled up." She squeezed my wrist. "You go see if they need help, I don't want to make them think I'm a crazy fan."

"Sarah, we don't even know who they are yet." I laughed and stood up. "I'll let you know who it is." I pushed in my chair and jogged up the hill to the tour bus. By the time I made it to the top I was out of breath. I sat down on the grass and let out a deep breath.

"Hey, are you okay?" I looked up when I heard the voice. 

"Oh, my God." I widened my eyes. "Yes, yes. Yeah, I'm totally fine. I just jogged up the hill and I kind of regret it." 

"Let me help you up." I took his hand and let him pull me up.

"Thank you. I had no idea 5 Seconds of Summer was going to be the musical guest."

"Right, well, I'm Ashton. But, you probably knew that." He chuckled. 

"You're right, I did. I'm Charlie. Charlie Williams." I smiled. "Do you guys need any help getting settled?"

"I think we could use some help. We have quite a bit of stuff and we don't know our way around camp." Ashton grinned and led me over to their bus. "Guys, this is Charlie. She's gonna help us out."

"Hi, guys. Has anyone told you which cabins you're assigned to?" I asked. 

"We literally just got here. The only thing we know is that this camp is called Camp Walden." Calum huffed and threw his suitcase down on the gravel parking lot. 

"I'm here to help with that." I grabbed my clipboard and looked at the cabin log. "Ashton and Calum are in Cloud 9. Michael and Luke are in Starry Night."

"Where are you?" Luke winked and I giggled.

"I'm stuck in the dorms. They need someone to monitor all 45 girls that sleep down there and that's me."

"Holy shit, how do you do it?" Michael laughed.

"Well, there's only 12 girls in my section. Each section has a counselor but I'm the one the counselors go to if they need help." I shrugged. "So, what can I help you carry?"

"We've got two guitar cases, the bass case, and the drum case. Those will need to be carried." Luke said.

"I'll get a golf cart." I laughed and jogged to the side of the office building and grabbed the keys. I drove it over to the boys. "We can take multiple trips if we need to." They nodded and began loading their things onto the back. Michael slid into the golf cart next to me. Calum slid in next to him, which made Michael scoot closer to me. 

"So, how long have you been here? Like, working here." Ashton asked as he climbed into the back with Luke.

"I've been a counselor here since I was 16, so this is my third year of that. I was a camper before that." I explained. "We take kids starting at age 8, which is when I started, up to age 15. Once you turn 16, you're eligible to be a counselor."

"So, you're 19?" Calum asked as I started to drive the golf cart down the hill.

"Yup, I turned 19 in March." I parked the cart in front of Cloud 9. "Ashton and Calum, this is your home."

"I thought summer camps were supposed to have ugly cabins?" Calum chuckled and got out of the cart. "This cabin is huge."

"All of the cabins were redone over the winter. They each have their own private bathrooms, while the dorms have communal bathrooms." I got out of the cart and lead them up to the door. Once Calum and Ashton had their things inside, we went next door to Starry Night.

"Is this ours?" Michael asked, looking up at the building.

"Yeah, this is it. This is Starry Night. This one has it's own bathroom, too, but this one has a little kitchen. The only cabin that does." I held the door open so the boys could bring in their bags.

"I call top bunk!" Luke yelled and pushed Michael out of the way.

"There's more than one bunk, asshole." Michael laughed, throwing his pillow at Luke.

"Put your shit down so we can get a tour of the camp." Ashton crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. 

"We're done. Charlie, are you going to be showing us around?" Luke asked, looking at me from the top bunk.

"Yeah, we'll take the golf cart and I'll show you around."

"Thanks, Charles." Michael grinned and walked outside.

"It's Charlie." I corrected as I got in.

"Yeah, which is short for Charles." 

"I believe her name is actually Charlotte." Luke commented, getting into the back again.

"He's right. My name is Charlotte, but I prefer to be called Charlie. Charlotte makes me sound like I'm 80." I made a face and started the cart. "Now get in, we have a lot to cover before we have to get to the chapel."

"Alright, let's do this." Michael squished in next to me and Calum next to him. I drove up the hill back toward the main office.

"So, this is the main office. You'll get your staff shirts here." I parked at the front. "You can run in and get them now."

"I'll go grab them all so it goes faster." Ashton decided and jogged into the building.

"So, Charles, are you single?" Michael asked.

"Yes, Michael, I am." I rolled my eyes playfully and tried to hide my smile.

"I see you smiling, you secretly like it when I call you Charles." Michael laughed and nudged my shoulder with his. I laughed and Ashton came back from inside. He passed out the shirts and I started driving down the path.

"This is the tennis courts, but they're never really used for tennis. Mostly, people come out here to make out without getting caught by Sam." I commented as we drove past. "That little barn-like building is the canteen. You can buy snacks and stuff there. And, over there, is the recreation field. That's where we take the kids for rec time." 

"What if it's raining?" Luke asked.

"Then we go to the rec center, which is the building by the cabins."

"The tin one?" Ashton asked and I nodded.

"Yeah, and here's the Miracle Lodge. This is where the cooking and cleaning staff stay. We have 'Coffee House' in there because it's got a little stage." I stopped in front of the lodge.

"What's 'Coffee House'?" Luke asked.

"It's the open mic night." I said and started driving again. "Here is the chapel. We call it the chapel because during the 50's this was a religious music camp."

"Everything looks so naturey here." Michael laughed and looked at the chapel.

"Mike, we're in nature." Calum rolled his eyes.

"Anyways, down this way is the bridge over the river." I drove down the small hill and stopped on the bridge. "This is another common make out spot. We don't swim in the river because the current is too strong, but there's a lake on the other side that we are allowed to swim in. There is also a pool." I said and drove across the bridge. "Here is where we have campfires. There one large firepit for the whole camp and then each cabin has their own smaller pit."

"I don't do fire. I almost got my face burned off on stage, so I stay away from fire." Michael crossed his arms.

"Don't worry, Mikey. I'll protect you." I joked, nudging his shoulder. A light blush appeared on his cheeks and he pouted slightly. I giggled and made a U-turn, driving back across the bride and up the hill. "Down here, you have the little entrance to the river. You can go in up to your ankles, but no farther than that. Here's where Sam lives. It's been in the Walden family since before the camp started."

"What happens if the Walden name disappears?" Ashton asked. "Like, what if there are no heirs?"

"Sam isn't married, but he adopted a baby that will inherit it when Sam retires." I answered and drove down the path farther. "Just wait until you meet Colton. He's the cutest little baby."

"How old is he?" Luke asked.

"He just turned two a few weeks ago." I smiled and drove up to the petting farm. "Here's the farm. We've got baby bunnies, a peacock, a donkey, and a deer."

"You have baby bunnies?" Michael squealed.

"Yes, we do. You have to make sure you pick them up when the momma isn't around, or she'll bite you." I looked at the cages. "The babies sometimes bite, too, but they don't have very sharp teeth." I nodded and started driving up the hill toward the main lodge. "Here is the main lodge. The dorms are in the basement of this building. This is also where the mess hall is."

"Great, when's lunch?" Calum asked. 

"Lunch is at noon." I answered. "You'll have a schedule on the back of your name cards."

"When do we get our name cards?" Ashton asked. "And what do they have on them besides our names and a schedule?" I took my name card from around my neck and handed it to him. "It looks like a backstage pass. It's got the lanyard and everything."

"You'll get yours when Sam introduces you to the campers and other counselors. So far, I'm the only counselor who knows you're here." I parked the golf cart in front of the lodge. "We have to get to the chapel now, though, to introduce all the staff." The boys nodded and followed me to the chapel. I sat in the back row with them and watched as Sam stood in front of everyone.

"Welcome to Camp Walden!" Sam grinned and everyone cheered. "My name is Sam Walden, and I hope you're all ready to have a fantastic summer!" I giggled as Colton wobbled over to me. I picked him up and set him on my lap.

"This is Colton. Colty, can you say 'Hi' to my friends?" I brushed his hair from his eyes and he stared at the boys. I giggled and let him hold my hands.

"I'd like to call up our counselors, as well as our celebrity guests." Sam smirked and the campers began to whisper to each other. I stood up and rested Colton on my hip. The boys followed me up to the front. "I'd like you all to introduce yourselves and tell us where you're from." Sam handed his microphone to the first counselor.

"I'm Emily, and I'm from New York City."

"I'm Hannah, and I'm from San Francisco."

"I'm Lydia, and I'm from Rochester, New York."

"I'm Audrey, and I'm from Los Angeles." Audrey smiled fakely at me and handed me the microphone.

"I'm Charlie, and I'm from Notre Dame, Indiana." I said, trying to keep the microphone from Colton. "Tell everyone your name, buddy." I held the microphone by his mouth and he squealed.

"Colty!" He grinned and looked at Sam. Sam laughed and gave him a thumbs up. I smiled and passed the microphone to Ashton.

"I'm Ashton, and I'm from Sydney, Australia."

"I'm Michael, also from Sydney."

"I'm Calum, from Sydney."

"I'm Luke. I'm from Sydney." 

"I'm Austin, I'm from Dallas."

"I'm Danny, I'm from LA."

"I'm Sierra, and I'm from Minneapolis."

"I'm Sarah, I'm from Lansing, Michigan."

"I'm Tyler, I'm from Tallahassee." 

****

After all of the introductions, Sam called the boys up for a one performance to show the campers what they're all capable of. "That's what being a star is all about. Here at Camp Walden, we are preparing all of you for your part in the music industry." Sam grinned. The boys came back and sat with me in the back row. 

"What's your role in the music industry, Charles?" Michael asked.

"I don't really have a role, I just help kids find theirs." I shrugged and adjusted Colton on my lap.

"Do you play any instruments?" Ashton asked.

"Yeah, I play the violin and I've been trying to teach myself how to play the guitar." I looked at him. "I'm not getting very far though."

"Hey, I'll teach you how to play. I'm the best guitarist in this band." Mike smirked.

"As if." Luke rolled his eyes and looked at Colton. "Can I hold him? It makes me miss my niece." I nodded and set Colton on Luke's lap.

"I will now split you up into your groups for the group activities." Sam smiled as he stood in front of everyone. "Group 1 will be lead by Emily and Danny." He read off all 12 of the campers and the group left the chapel. "Group 2 is lead by Austin and Calum." 

"Bye guys." Calum smiled and jogged up to the front with Austin where they gathered their campers.

"Group 3 with Tyler and Sierra." Sam read off. The chairs were beginning to look really empty. "Group 4 with Sarah and Ashton." Ashton stood up and walked to the front to meet Sarah and the campers. Sarah slapped my palm with hers as she walked past me. I laughed and shook my hand slightly to ease the sting. "Group 5 with Hannah and Lydia." I was silently hoping that I would get to be with Michael instead of Audrey being with him. I knew either way she'd still try to steal him from me once she saw us together. "Group 6 with Charlie and Michael." I let out a breath of relief. "Oh, excuse me. I read that wrong. Group 6 with Charlie and Luke." I rolled my eyes as Audrey smirked back at me. Luke and I walked up to the front as Sam read off the names of our campers. Luke handed Colton to Sam as we walked out of the chapel. "Group 7 with Audrey and Michael." Sam said the door shut behind us.

"Where are we going first?" One of the little girls asked.

"We're gonna go up to the treehouse in the rec center and have our group time." I smiled down at her. I walked in front while Luke stayed in the back. I wonder if he knew that I was hoping to be with Michael instead of him. I sighed and walked up the steps to the treehouse and held the door open for our campers. "Everyone have a seat on the floor in a circle." I instructed. Once the campers were seated, Luke and I settled in between them. 

"So, we're gonna play a little game to get to know each other." Luke smiled at everyone. "Charlie, go ahead and explain it."

"Alright, one person is going to start by saying their name and they'll describe themselves with a word that starts with the same letter as their name. The next person has to say the previous persons name and adjective before giving their own. Got it?" I smiled. A few campers nodded. "Okay, I'll start. Charming Charlie." I looked down at the little girl next to me.

"Charming Charlie, Goofy Giselle." She giggled. I nodded at the boy sitting next to her.

"Charming Charlie, Goofy Giselle, Daring Daniel."

"Charming Charlie, Goofy Giselle, Daring Daniel, Tired Travis." I laughed and smiled at him.

"Good one, Travis." I nodded to the girl next to him.

"Charming Charlie, Goofy Giselle, Daring Daniel, Tired Travis, Little Liam."

"Charming Charlie, Goofy Giselle, Daring Daniel, Tired Travis, Little Liam, Loud Luke." Luke grinned and a few campers laughed. "You're turn." Luke smiled at the girl next to him.

"Charming Charlie, Goofy Giselle, Daring Daniel, Tired Travis, Little Liam, Loud Luke, Mighty Mitchie." 

"Charming Charlie, Goofy Giselle, Daring Daniel, Tired Travis, Little Liam, Loud Luke, Mighty Mitchie, Flirty Flora." The girl giggled, glancing at Luke. Luke looked at me and I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing.

"Charming Charlie, Goofy Giselle, Daring Daniel, Tired Travis, Little Liam, Loud Luke, Mighty Mitchie, Flirty Flora, Jumpy Jennifer."

"Charming Charlie, Goofy Giselle, Daring Daniel, Tired Travis, Little Liam, Loud Luke, Mighty Mitchie, Flirty Flora, Jumpy Jennifer, Gross Gabe."

Charming Charlie, Goofy Giselle, Daring Daniel, Tired Travis, Little Liam, Loud Luke, Mighty Mitchie, Flirty Flora, Jumpy Jennifer, Gross Gabe, Naughty Nate." The boy smirked, looking at all the girls in the circle.

"Naughty Nate better turn into Appropriate Nate or he's gonna get in trouble." Luke smirked down at him and Nate huffed. "Next."

"Charming Charlie, Goofy Giselle, Daring Daniel, Tired Travis, Little Liam, Loud Luke, Mighty Mitchie, Flirty Flora, Jumpy Jennifer, Gross Gabe, Naughty Nate, Elegant Emma." Emma grinned and sat up straighter.

"Charming Charlie, Goofy Giselle, Daring Daniel, Tired Travis, Little Liam, Loud Luke, Mighty Mitchie, Flirty Flora, Jumpy Jennifer, Gross Gabe, Naughty Nate, Elegant Emma, Jealous Jordan."

"Charming Charlie, Goofy Giselle, Daring Daniel, Tired Travis, Little Liam, Loud Luke, Mighty Mitchie, Flirty Flora, Jumpy Jennifer, Gross Gabe, Naughty Nate, Elegant Emma, Jealous Jordan, Bored Brian.” The boy next to me rolled his eyes.

"Hey, it's not boring. It's fun." I laughed. "You all did great with that, good job" I smiled and looked at the group. "How many of you have been to Camp Walden before?" Travis, Liam, Jennifer, Jordan, and Brian all raised their hands. "Alright, a little less than half. For those who didn't know, group time is when we help you with your music. We're here to help you decide which instruments you want to play, if you want to be in a band or be solo, if you want to sing or just do the instruments." 

"We probably won't get to much today, though, since we spent all that time with the name game. We only have about 15 minutes until we have to rotate." Luke added.

"Where are we going after this?" Flora asked. 

"We're going downstairs to do crafts with Group 6." I smiled at her.

****

After our 15 minutes were up, we walked down the stairs and into the craft room. I took a seat at one of the tables and Michael grinned as he walked in with his group. He walked over and sat next to me. "Hey, Charles." I smiled and looked at him. 

"I guess I should start calling you Michaela." I joked. He laughed and nudged my shoulder. 

"What's the craft we're making?" He asked, looking at the strings on the table.

"We're making [lanyards](http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Lanyards)." I smiled and grabbed two different colored strings.

"How the fu-." Michael stopped himself. "How do you make a lanyard?" I laughed and grabbed two strings for him. 

"I'll get it started for you and then I'll show you how it's done." I said and he nodded, watching my hands. I started the knot and looked at Michael. "Alright, so you make two loops with one color like this." I made the loops and showed them to him. "Then you go over and under this one, and over and under that one." I weaved them together. "Then you pull." I pulled and showed him the final product.

"Oh, my God. That's amazing. Okay, let me try." He grinned and took his strings. He made the loops and went over and under both ways before pulling. "I did it!" He gasped.

"Yeah! You did!" I laughed and grabbed my strings, starting the knot. We sat quietly for a while just making our lanyards. 

"Hey, wait, how did you get yours to be circular?" He pouted and looked at my lanyard.

"You need a level 48 lanyard skill to do the circular ones." I joked and he kept pouting at me. "Finish the one you have and then tomorrow I'll show you how to do the circular lanyards."

"Deal." Michael grinned and pressed his lips to my cheek. I blushed lightly and glanced up when I felt eyes on me. My eyes landed on Audrey, a scowl etched on her features. I smirked softly and scooted closer to Michael. Audrey always wanted what I had, and she'd stop at nothing to get it. It happened with Nate and it could happen with Michael. I wasn't going to let her steal Michael from me, though. This time, I was going to win.


	2. Michael

By the time free-time rolled around, I was thoroughly exhausted. I walked back to mine and Luke’s cabin to take a power nap. “Mikey! Where are you going?” I turned and looked at Audrey. I sighed.

“I was gonna go take a nap. What’s up?” I asked.

“You should come to the pool with me to keep me company while I’m on lifeguard duty.” She smiled brightly at me.

“Yeah, sure. Just let me change quick.” I nodded and walked inside the cabin. Audrey was great, but she was kind of clingy. She always wanted to do things with me, but I’d rather see my band or Charlie. I would love to spend more time with Charlie. I sighed and changed into my swim trunks quickly. I came back out to Audrey and she was still smiling brightly.

“Let’s go.” She linked our arms and I followed her to the pool. I went over and sat on the bench with her. “So, are you having a good time so far?”

“Yeah, the place is nice. I just wish I could meet more people, honestly. There’s so many of them here.” I kicked my flip flops off and stretched out my legs. “I’d like to see if I could spend more time with Charlie. She’s so different from the other girls I’ve met.”

“Oh, no. You don’t want Charlie.” Audrey made a face at me.

“Why not? What’s wrong with Charlie?” I crossed my arms.

“Okay, but you didn’t hear it from me.” Audrey started. “We were best friends when we both started as campers here, but she changed when we became counselors. There was this other counselor named Nate and he was a couple years older than us, but she was, like, in love with him. He liked me instead, but she didn’t believe me when I told her that he came on to me. I started dating him and then I caught him down at the river with Charlie. Of course, I knew it was her that initiated it, but I was still hurt that she’d do that to me.” Audrey sighed. “She’s always wanted what I’ve had. She would do anything and everything to steal what I love.”

“Oh..” I looked at the ground. I didn’t want to believe it, but maybe it was true? Maybe she wasn’t like that. I decided to be the open minded type and wait to judge until I had both sides of the story. I was going to think more about it, but then my eyes drifted to the bikini clad Charlie. My lips involuntarily twitched up into a smile. She looked back at me and smiled.

“Charlie, put a t-shirt on. You know the rules.” Audrey rolled her eyes.

“What are the rules?” I asked, looking to Audrey.

“Bikinis aren’t allowed. They promote promiscuous behavior.” Audrey looked at me as if I should have already known that.

“I don’t have any t-shirts, Audrey. Besides, you’re the one who wears short shorts and tank tops.” Charlie countered.

“Put a shirt on, or you’re not swimming.” Audrey crossed her arms.

You can take my shirt, Charlie.” I smiled and walked over to her, handing her my shirt.

“What, Mike? Are you sure?” She asked and I nodded, helping her into my shirt. 

"Of course I'm sure." I smiled.

"I don't even want to swim anymore." Charlie sighed, looking down.

"That's alright, I want to talk to you anyways. Let's take a walk." I linked my arm with hers.

"A walk?" She looked at me as we walked out of the pool area. 

"Yes, a walk. Why don't we go down to the bridge?" I suggested, pulling her with me to the wooden bridge. 

"Michael, what's going on?" Charlie asked, looking up at me.

"Nothing, I just want to talk to you." I smiled, leaning against the wooden railing. 

"You don't want to talk. You want to hear the story of how I 'stole' Audrey's boyfriend." Charlie sighed and looked at the river beneath us.

"Okay, you're right. I want to know your side of the story." I sighed.

"Alright, I'll tell you. Audrey and I had been best friends since we started at this camp. We did everything together. We always shared a bunk, we always made each other lanyards, everything. Then, once we became counselors she thought she was somehow better than me. She went around telling everyone that I was a whore because my boobs grew before hers did." Charlie rolled her eyes. "That was the hardest summer of my life. We're here from June 12th to August 20th, so you don't see your family much during that time other than letters and the occasional phone call. I received a phone call that summer, it was from my mom." Charlie's voice cracked slightly and my heart shattered. I didn't know what to expect, but I didn't expect to hear what she said. "My older brother was stationed in Afghanistan at the time." 

"Oh, God.. Charlie.." I sighed and hugged her.

"His platoon was caught in a field of mines." Charlie wrapped her arms around my neck and I could feel the wetness of her tears on my bare shoulders. "I couldn't make it home for the funeral because I was here." I rubbed her back gently, trying to let her know that I was there for her. "Nate was so nice to me during that summer. His sister was deployed around the same time as Cory. We would sometimes sneak off to talk about how hard it is without them. That day when Audrey caught us, Nate kissed me. I didn't want him to, but he did. Audrey just happened to come right when it happened. She told everyone that I was trying to sleep with him."

"You don't have to continue. I think I know enough of the story now." I sighed and kept my arms around her.

"No, you don't know enough. Audrey has always wanted what I have. She was always jealous that I had two parents who were still married, that I had a close relationship with my siblings, she wanted everything. She was the only one who never said she was sorry about Cory. She wasn't sorry when my dad left us. She always flirts with the guys I show interest in."

"Is that why she's so interested in me?" I asked softly. Charlie nodded and looked up at me.

"I have an idea, though." Charlie spoke softly, looking away from me and at the river. "We use Luke."

"Use Luke? For what?" I furrowed my eyebrows. I didn't really get what she was talking about.

"A little experiment. I pretend to be interested in Luke, Audrey will want him and not you. Just to see if I'm really right about her." Charlie shrugged and looked at the water. 

"What about my interest in you?" I chuckled and let go of her. She rolled her eyes playfully and smacked my chest.

"You only met me this morning." She crossed her arms.

"Who cares? I already know I like you. Maybe it's just a fling, maybe we get married someday. Who knows?" I joked, tapping her chin with my thumb.

"You're a rockstar, Mikey." Charlie sighed, looking away from me. I shook my head and tilted her chin up with my index finger. 

"Hey, if I wanted to make something work, I would. That's what love is all about, right? Fighting to make things work?" I reasoned.

"Don't go bringing up love now, rockstar. We haven't even kissed yet." Charlie smirked and let her fingers trail along my chest as she sauntered up the path away from the bridge.

***

The first night in the cabins was rough. 12 boys plus Luke all asleep in one big room. There was lots of snoring and sleep talking which would take some getting used to. But, for now, I was going to take a walk. I slipped my sweatpants and sweatshirt on over my boxers and t-shirt before slipping on my Converse. I closed the door carefully behind me. I rubbed my hands together to create some warmth as I walked down the path to the river. I stopped in my tracks when I heard twigs cracking behind me. "Hello?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Michael?"

"Charlie, what the hell are you doing out here?" I pressed my hand to my chest, feeling my heart beat faster.

"I have trouble sleeping at night, so I come and sit by the river. Cory and I used to watch the river by our house at night." Charlie walked closer to me. I held my hand out to her and she took it gently.

"Let's go to the bridge. We can lay and watch the stars." I rubbed her hand gently and she nodded slowly. We walked silently to the bridge. I laid down on the bridge and opened my arms for Charlie. 

"You're a weirdo." Charlie whispered softly and laid down in my arms. I looked at Charlie as started to shiver.

"Hey, are you cold?" I sat up and pulled my sweatshirt off, handing it to her.

"What is it with you and giving me your clothes?" Charlie laughed softly and slipped my sweatshirt over her head. "This is huge on me." She giggled.

"It's warm, though." I smiled and laid back, looking at the sky. 

"Mikey, we can't see any stars tonight. It's too cloudy. Weatherman says there's a big storm coming." Charlie laid her head on my shoulder.

"Attention: All staff members please report to the chapel. I repeat: All staff members to the chapel, immediately." Sam's voice rang out through the speakers. 

"What's going on?" I asked as I stood up. I held my hands out to Charlie and helped her up.

"Severe weather instructions. We have to get room assignments." Charlie linked her arm with mine and lead me up to the chapel. I followed her inside and she pulled me over to the boys.

"Where have you two been?" Calum teased. 

"We took a walk." Charlie said as she took a seat next to Luke. I chewed on my lip as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you all for coming in. As you know, the weather isn't looking too great the next few days." Sam explained. "Those of you staying in the dorms are in the safe rooms. Those of you in the cabins will be assigned a dorm to stay in when the weather is severe. Room assignments are posted on the back counter." I stood up and followed everyone back to the counter. I looked at the assignment list looking for my cabin.

"Mike, we're in Charlie's dorm." Luke grinned at me. I let out a breath of relief. I was scared I'd be stuck in Audrey's dorm. 

"Cabins, please alert your campers and transport them to your assigned dorm." Sam instructed. I watched as Charlie linked arms with Luke. 

"I'll come with you to get your campers so I can show you where the dorm is." Charlie smiled up at him. I sighed to myself and held the door open for Charlie and Luke. Rain was now pouring down onto the pavement as we ran to the cabin.

"Everybody up!" I shouted and flickered the lights. There were groans and sighs coming from the campers. "There's a bad storm outside, so we're moving to the dorms. This is Charlie. We're gonna be staying in her sector." I explained while helping our boys get their belongings gathered. Charlie let out a squeak as thunder rumbled loudly in the distance. "Alright, lads, let's go. The storms getting closer." I held the door while everyone ran out. The campers followed Luke and Charlie to the dorms and I followed after all of them to make sure they all made it.

"There's a couple bunks in the corners and the girls can double up if necessary." Charlie explained to the boys. Thunder rumbled loudly from outside, the building rattling. Charlie wrapped my sweatshirt around her body tighter. I could tell she was scared. I sighed and helped my campers get settled into their new bunks. There were enough bunks for everyone. Everyone except me. 

"Charlie?" I whispered as she sat on her bunk.

"Yeah?"

"There's no more bunks, and I need somewhere to sleep." I whispered. I didn't know exactly what I was expecting, but she nodded toward her bed. 

"Come lay with me." She smiled and got under her blankets. I walked over to her bed but paused as the lights flickered. I looked up at the light fixtures. "Mikey, just lay down." Charlie whimpered slightly. It thundered loudly again, the lights going out completely. "Michael.." Charlie whispered so softly, I almost didn't hear her. I carefully felt around, finding Charlie's bed.

"I'm here, it's okay." I whispered and climbed into bed with her. She wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her face in my neck. I wrapped my arms around her torso protectively and pulled her so she was laying on top of me. I pulled the blankets up so they were around us securely. I rubbed her back gently and waited until her breathing slowed before closing my eyes.

****

The power was still out when morning came around. Charlie was sleeping soundly by the time I was able to force my eyes open. She was still laying on top of me with her face right in the crook where my neck meets my shoulders. I glanced at the clock on the nightstand. 6:24am. The wake up bell would toll in 36 minutes, but I wasn't ready to let go of Charlie just yet. I slid my hands underneath my sweatshirt that she was still wearing. I rubbed her back gently, goosebumps arising on her skin. She shifted slightly, humming softly. "Mikey?" She mumbled, her eyes fluttered open.

"Go back to sleep, Charles." I whispered and rubbed her back.

"M'not sleepy anymore." She yawned and rested her chin on my chest. "Wanna stay up and talk to you."

"If we're gonna talk, then tell me why thunder scares you." I whispered. 

"It's loud, asshole." Charlie pouted. "And, sometimes they lead to big storms that cause trees to fall on your garage and then your dad starts swearing and throwing things because his valuable woodshop was in there." Charlie rambled. 

"Sounds like there's a story in that very long sentence." I chuckled and moved my hands down to her thighs. I pulled them up so they were on either side of my hips. Charlie giggled softly and looked down at me. 

"I'm from Indiana, we get quite a few big storms. When I was 6, there was a very big storm. It knocked over the big oak tree by the garage and it ended up falling on the garage. We were all in the living room at the time and my dad started swearing. My dad is a big guy and he's really scary. He gets scary when he yells, especially when he's yelling swear words." Charlie shifted slightly, her hips rolling down against mine. I hummed and squeezed her thighs. "Oh, I'm sorry." She blushed lightly.

"I don't mind." I looked up at her, smirking. Her eyes flickered to my lips and back to my eyes. "Charles, if you want to kiss me, just do it." I whispered, looking into her eyes.

"Do you want to kiss me?" She whispered, smirking softly.

"I've wanted to kiss you since I saw you for the first time." I moved my hands to her hips.

"That was only yesterday." She giggled softly, leaning down. 

"I know." I pulled her down and pressed my lips to hers. She hummed softly and moved her lips against mine. I slid my hands up her thighs and let them rest on her ass. She smirked against my lips and rocked her hips against mine. "Charlie.." I squeezed her ass and closed my eyes.

"Mikey." She giggled and pressed her lips to mine.

"Shut up." Luke groaned from the bunk next to us as he threw his pillow at Charlie. Charlie giggled softly and slipped out of our bunk. I whined and reached my arms out to her. She stuck her tongue out at me and slid into bed with Luke. "Ha! Suck it, Clifford. She's mine." Luke smirked and wrapped his arms around Charlie.

"Lukey's warmer than you, Mike." Charlie giggled and kissed Luke's cheek. I pouted as the bell for wake up rang. 

"Mike, you and Sarah can wake up the still asleep campers. Charlie and I are gonna make out under the blankets." Luke grinned and pulled the blankets over him and Charlie. I sat up and looked at the door as Audrey came in. 

"Luke!" Charlie squealed and giggled. "Stop it, there's children." I watched Audrey's facial expression as she looked toward Luke's bunk. 

"You love it, baby, admit it." Luke chuckled. Audrey pursed her lips. Charlie pushed the blankets off her and Luke. "Baby, come closer. I'm losing warmth." Luke pulled Charlie closer and peppered her face with light kisses. 

"Get up, Charlie. We're on breakfast duty." Audrey rolled her eyes. 

"No, baby, don't leave me." Luke pouted as Charlie got up. 

"I have to go, Lukey. Save me a seat for breakfast." Charlie pecked Luke's lips and slid on her Vans. I looked down at my lap and bit my cheek slightly. I knew Charlie had told Luke of our plan, but it still left my heart skipping a beat to see them interact. Charlie left the dorm area with Audrey.

"Mike, what's wrong?" Luke asked, patting my cheek. "Do you really want to do this?"

"Yes, Luke, we need to find out if Audrey really is as Charlie says." I sighed and rubbed my face.

"I get that, mate, but this is making you jealous. As much as I love making you jealous, I can't stand to see you like this." Luke sighed and stood up. "You're my best friend and you have never had a girlfriend the entire time I've known you. Charlie is good for you and I don't want to stand in the way of that."

"It's fine, I swear. I'll get over it. Just.." I sighed and slid my converse on. "Just don't kiss her in front of me." I grabbed my clothes and jogged up the stairs to the bathroom.

****

After breakfast, everyone met in the chapel before we were supposed to split off for our group activities. By the time it was our turn for Rec, I was dying to see Charlie again. "Hey, Michael, what's going on with Luke and Charlie?" Audrey asked as we walked to the field. 

"I don't know much, but I can tell you that they aren't afraid to get it on with campers in the room." I lied, following the campers to the field. 

"I think he likes me, not her. That's how it always is, but she's just too much of a whore to let them be with me." She scoffed and crossed her arms. I had to stop myself from smiling when I saw Charlie and Luke with their campers already on the field.

"Looks like we're joining the lovebirds for Rec." I grinned. 

"Welcome campers and counselors! We had such a lovely storm last night that lead us to this beautiful day. On such a beautiful day, we are going to play Wet Kickball. Luke and Charlie, you and your campers will start in the field. Mike and Audrey, you and your campers are up to bat." The Rec leader, Jason, explained. "When it's your turn to kick, I will spray you down with the hose until you're soaked and then you will kick. You'll have to run while wet and hope you don't slip or get muddy."

"You're going down, Clifford." Charlie whispered in my ear as she passed me. I chuckled and watched as Charlie kicked off her flip flops before jogging out to the field. Turns out, Charlie was right. Her campers were dominating mine. Her team was up to bat and Charlie looked ready to win. Six of her 12 campers went before her, only one of them getting out. Charlie stepped up to the plate and Jason sprayed her down with the hose, her shirt becoming tighter against her body.

"Go Charlie!" Luke cheered from his spot on 2nd base. 

"Shut up, Lukey!" Charlie giggled and kicked the ball as hard as she could. The ball flew all the way over to the small shed on the other side of the field. Charlie began running to 1st base, where I was stationed. One of my campers threw the ball to me and I caught it, quickly running back to the base. Charlie squealed and slipped in the mud. I held my hand out to her quickly and she grabbed it, pulling me down into the mud puddle with her.

"Charlie, now we're both covered in mud." I groaned sat up.

"You're the one who held your hand out to me." She giggled and sat up next to me. I stood up and carefully held her hands and pulled her up. Her tan legs were covered in mud, as were her shorts and her bright yellow staff shirt. I looked down at myself and noticed my black jeans were completely covered in mud.

"Lucky us, we have freetime after this." I grinned and wiped a streak of mud on Charlie's nose.

"I am going to take a shower the entire time." Charlie giggled and looked at her legs. "At least my legs will be smooth. It's like a mud mask for your legs." 

"You're crazy." I chuckled and threw the ball to Jason.

Charlie's team did win the game, and they weren't letting us forget it. Charlie jogged over to Luke and whispered something in his ear before jogging down the path of the field leading back to the main lodge. I looked at Luke and furrowed my eyebrows. "Shower." He mouthed to me and I nodded. 

"I'm gonna head to the Rec Center and look for my phone, I think I left it there during crafts." I told Luke as I started walking to the Rec Center. I walked inside and to the craft area. I stopped when I heard singing from down the hall. I furrowed my eyebrows and walked into the hall slowly. There was faint music, but the voice was loud enough to be heard clearly. I walked further down the hall and found that the source of the [music ](https://open.spotify.com/track/6vMiU1tMnWXkWlmMWjX6ZN)was coming from the women's bathroom. I could the sound of water running, most likely a shower. 

"Dammit, Charlie, you always do this." The singing stopped when Charlie spoke. "Oh, God. That's a lot of blood." I widened my eyes and knocked on the door.

"Charlie?" I asked loud enough for her to hear me. "Are you alone in there?"

"Uh, yeah. Just me and my blood, thank you." She answered.

"I'm coming in." I announced and opened the door, walking in.

"Mike! This is a girl's bathroom." Charlie gasped.

"You're the only one in here and I don't care." I locked the main door and walked over to the showers.

"Are you planning on showering with me? Because I just cut my leg with my razor and it's kind of bleeding a lot." Charlie sighed. I shook my head and pulled my shirt over my head.

"I'm coming in." I kicked my shoes off and pushed my jeans and boxers down.

"You're gonna see me naked." Charlie whispered.

"And, you'll see me." I pulled the curtain aside and stepped in. My eyes fell to Charlie's chest and I couldn't pull them away. "Wow, your boobs are beautiful." 

"You're such a fuckboy." Charlie rolled her eyes playfully.

"Shut up." I chuckled and pressed my lips to hers. She moved her lips against mine and ran her fingers through my hair. I brought my hands up and cupped her breasts, squeezing them gently. Charlie giggled and dropped to her knees in front of me. "If you're gonna suck me off, then the least I can do is wash your hair while you're doing it."

"Shampoo and conditioner are on the shelf." She giggled and stroked my semi hard cock with her soft hand. I bit my lip and squirted some shampoo onto my palm. Charlie licked my tip and swirled her tongue around it. I hummed softly and ran my fingers through her hair, massaging the shampoo in. She giggled softly and slowly took more in. I moaned softly and pushed her head down farther. She moaned around me softly as my cock nudged the back of her throat.

"Jesus fucking Christ." I groaned and tilted my head back. "You're not even gagging and you have my entire dick in your mouth." I bit my lip and saturated the shampoo into her hair as she began bobbing her head on my cock. I held her head as I tilted it back to rinse. Charlie giggled around me and sucked softly on what she had in her mouth. "You're incredible." I moaned and grabbed the conditioner, squirting it onto my palm. I ran my fingers through her hair again and pushed her head down my cock. I groaned and gripped her hair, guiding her mouth along my cock as I worked the conditioner into her hair. "Shit, I'm gonna come." I groaned and thrusted into her mouth. She moaned around me and looked up at me with her innocent blue eyes. I groaned and pushed her head all the way down my cock, releasing into her mouth. She giggled and pulled her mouth away, wiping it gently.

"I've never had someone wash my hair while I gave them a blowjob before." She giggled and stood up, rinsing the conditioner from her hair.

"Well, there's a first time for everything. I've never had someone suck me off in the shower before, but now I have." I grinned and cupped her cheek.

"You should know, I don't have a gag reflex because of my four years of bulimia." Charlie whispered. My heart started beating faster.

"God, you poor thing." I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tight.

"I got treatment for it and I haven't even thought of doing it in almost 2 years." She smiled.

"I am so proud of you." I grinned and pressed my lips to hers. She moved her lips against mine and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Mikey, can I wash your hair while you fuck me?" Charlie mumbled against my lips and my eyes rolled to the back of my head at the thought.

"You're so sexy, you know?" I grinned and lifted her up by her thighs, letting her legs wrap around my waist. "Are you covered?"

"I'm covered." She giggled and squirted the shampoo into her hand. I lined myself up and pushed into her slowly. She gasped out a moan and bit her lip as she massaged my scalp. I held her hips and thrusted slowly. "Go faster." She moaned and arched her back away from the wall. I nodded and bit my lip as I began thrusting faster.

"Fucking hell, you feel so good." I groaned and squeezed her hips tightly. Her fingers worked the shampoo into my hair as she moaned louder. I tilted my head back to allow the water to rush down over my hair, rinsing the shampoo out. Charlie squirted the conditioner into her hand and ran her fingers through my hair. I held her hips and pounded into her.

"Oh, God, fuck." She moaned louder and tugged at my hair. 

"You like that, baby girl?" I moaned and kept up the fast pace as I pounded into her. Charlie couldn't keep her eyes open, euphoria taking control. I brought my thumb to her sensitive bud and began rubbing fast circles against it. She moaned my name loudly and I quickly covered her mouth. "Fuck, you're so loud." I grinned and rubbed her clit faster as I pounded into her harder. 

"Michael, oh my, God." She pulled my hair again and moaned out against my hand. Her thighs began to quake as bliss rained down on her. I pounded into her fast and hard as I reached my second orgasm of the day, releasing inside her. "Holy fuck." She panted. I pulled out and set her down.

"I hope no one heard us." I chuckled and rinsed the conditioner from my hair.

"These walls are thick." Charlie shrugged.

"They aren't that thick, love. I could hear you singing." I chuckled and Charlie froze. I furrowed my eyebrows and placed my hand on her upper arm. "What's wrong?"

"You heard me sing?" She whispered, looking up at me nervously. 

"Yes, and you have an amazing voice, Charlie. Your voice is beautiful." I praised her and she blushed, looking at the ground. "Here's an idea, you sing something at that open mic night thing you told me about."

"Coffee House?" Charlie asked and I nodded. "No way." She shook her head and grabbed the soap, lathering it up on her skin.

"Oh, come on, Charlie. You have such an amazing voice, people need to hear you." I pleaded, taking the soap from her. 

"No, Michael." She said sternly, rinsing her body.

"What if I sang with you?" I asked, rubbing the soap on my body.

"I don't sing in front of people, Michael." Charlie sighed and looked up at me.

"I'll be doing it with you. You just have to keep your eyes on me the whole time." I rinsed my body and reached around Charlie to turn the water off. 

"And, what would we sing, Michael?" 

"I don't know. I'll find something. Maybe, I'll write something for us." I shrugged and stepped out of the shower. "Fuck, I don't have a towel."

"Here." Charlie muttered and handed me a towel. "I always use two. One for my hair and one for everything else. You can have my hair towel."

"Thanks." I took it and dried myself off. "I'm going to write us a song, Charles. And, you're going to sing it with me."


	3. Charlie

"I'm going to write us a song, Charles. And, you're going to sing it with me." Michael smirked at me.

"No, Mike. I can't. I can't sing in front of people." I chewed on my lip, trying to fight off the tears pricking my eyes.

"Why not?" Michael asked as he got dressed. 

"Last time I sang in front of a crowd, I did it with Audrey and she got signed to a record label and I didn't because I was 'too shy on stage'." I sighed and got dressed with my back to him. I closed my eyes to keep the tears in. I wasn't that upset about not getting signed, I was upset that she was the one to get signed when she only sang the chorus of the song while I did the whole thing.

"Charlie, I can sign you. Hi Or Hey Records could use another artist." Michael suggested.

"No offense, Mikey, but I can't stand Hey Violet and I really don't want to be associated with them." I shrugged and slipped my flip flops on.

"Lucky you, I don't like them either. We just needed people to sign and they were the only ones to send us a demo." Michael held my hand as he unlocked the bathroom door. "Just think about it, okay? The signing and the Coffee House."

"Fine.." I muttered. "I have to go meet Luke for a tennis date."

"You mean making out on the tennis courts?" Mike sighed and I nodded.

"I may be making out with Luke, but I sucked you off in a shower after you met me yesterday." I kissed his cheek. 

"Who cares when we met? It's not like we don't have all summer to do it again." I rolled my eyes playfully and let go of his hand. 

"I'll see you at lunch, Mikey." I smiled and walked out of the Rec Center. I started jogging to the tennis courts but stopped before I ran into Audrey.

"Where are you going?" She questioned, crossing her arms.

"I'm meeting Lukey at the tennis courts. I think you know why." I smirked and walked passed her.

"What happened to you and Michael?" Audrey turned and watched me walk.

"We're good friends, but I like Luke more." I giggled and walked to the tennis courts. I shut the gate behind me and smiled at Luke.

"Who were you talking to?" He bounced a tennis ball on the ground a few times.

"Audrey. She was wondering where I was going." I shrugged and walked over to him.

"How long are we going to do this?" Luke asked, looking down at me. "It's killing Mike."

"Mike and I fucked in the shower. He's fine with this." I blurted.

"You and Mike had sex?!" Luke whispered yelled to me, his eyes getting wide.

"Yes, but don't tell anyone. I'm supposed to be with you, remember?" I grabbed a racket and took the ball from Luke. 

"Charlie, Michael gets hurt really easily. Please try to take things slower with him. I don't want him to get unrealistic expectations for the two of you and get his heartbroken." Luke sighed and picked up his racket. "He always falls too fast too soon, and I know how he truly feels about you."

"I care about him, Luke. I won't hurt him." I reassured him. "Besides, it was probably just a good fuck to him. He's a rockstar, not exactly boyfriend material." I whispered the last part to myself and jogged to the other side of the court. Luke shook his head and I threw the ball into the air, hitting it to him.

***

Summer started to go by in a blur. Days turned to weeks and it was beginning to feel too close to the end. Even though it had only been two weeks since the first day and we had ten weeks left, it felt like it was going by too fast. Things with Michael had slowed down a little. We really only saw each other at meals and during activities. I sat in my dorm section with Sarah while the campers were in the chapel with Sam. "I don't know what to do with this. Audrey hasn't pulled the same shit she usually does. What if Michael starts to think she was right about me?"

"He's not stupid, Charlie. He really likes you, he's not going to give up that easily. He's still fucking you." Sarah giggled and screwed her nail polish bottle shut.

"We've only had sex three times since we met." I rolled my eyes playfully. "What about you and Ashton? I see your secret glances."

"Nothing's going on. We just have a lot in common. Like our love of vaginas." I widened my eyes and looked at Sarah. 

"You didn't tell me!" I gasped in fake hurt.

"I've only just come to terms with it. Ash helped me out with it, he even held me while I cried about it." She shrugged.

"I'm so happy for you." I tackled her on her bunk in a hug.

"Charlie! You're ruining my nails!" She laughed and hugged me back. 

"You used an ugly color anyways." I giggled and grabbed her polish. "It's called "Purple Rain" but it's red."

"It's got a little bit of purple sparkles in it." She grabbed it back. "I almost went into your suitcase to steal one of yours, but it'd take me years to decide."

"I only brought ten colors." I smiled and glanced at my suitcase. 

"You should've brought all 300 of yours." She unscrewed the brush. "You would need another suitcase to carry all of them."

"I don't even have that many." I huffed. I probably only had 200, but I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of knowing that. I looked over at the door as the doorknob jiggled.

"We're getting robbed." Sarah squeaked, looking at the door."

"It's just us. We can't get the door open, though." Ashton laughed from the other side of the door.

"Pull not push." I instructed and the door opened. 

"You make it seem so easy." Ashton grinned and walked into the room, the others trailing behind him.

"Gross, it smells like nail polish." Luke made a face and sat next to me on my bunk. 

"Can I paint your nails?" I asked, looking up at him.

"No way." He crossed his arms and glared at me.

"Oh, come on, Luke. You'll look like a real badass instead of your fake self." I joked and Calum laughed.

"Getting your nails painted isn't that bad. I've done it before." Calum smiled.

"I'll show you all of my colors." I giggled and pulled my suitcase out from under my bunk. I grabbed the ten polishes and set them on the bed. 

"Ooh, I like this one." Calum grabbed the dark blue.

"That one's neon. So is this one." I held up the mint green. "It matched my prom dress Junior year."

"I like that sparkly blue one." Michael commented, taking a seat on the floor next to my bunk.

"Can I paint your nails, Mikey?" I smiled and ran my fingers through his hair. 

"Only if you give me ten kisses. One for each finger." He grinned up at me.

"You two are gross." Calum rolled his eyes and opened the dark blue, brushing it lightly across his thumb nail.

"We're cute." Michael argued. "Now I'm gonna get my nails painted."

"Can I paint yours, Ash?" Sarah asked softly. 

"Sure, but I want it to be black." He sat next to her and she leaned over to my bunk to grab the black.

"Luke, you're gonna be left out." I joked and pulled Michael's hand up so it rested on my thigh. 

"I'll think about it." He rolled his eyes. I giggled and opened the sparkly blue.

"I'm gonna do one nail mint green to be pretty, okay?" I looked down at Michael. His green eyes twinkled as he looked back at me.

"You better make sure I'm pretty or I want my money back." I laughed and began painting his nails with the sparkly blue, leaving his middle finger empty for the mint green. "When am I gonna get my kisses?"

"When your nails dry." I smiled and added another coat of sparkle.

"How long does that take?" He asked, watching the brush.

"It depends on the polish. The sparkles will dry faster than the green." I held Michael's hand and pulled the brush along the nail. I grabbed the green once I finished all of the sparkly nails. 

"Can I paint your nails after this?" Mike asked and I laughed, looking down at him.

"Absolutely not." I opened the green and lifted Michael's middle finger to paint it. 

"Come on, I want to try it." He pouted and watched as I painted his nail. I grabbed his other hand and painted the nail.

"No. Now, sit still and let them dry." I instructed. 

"Meanie. First you say no to singing with me, then you deny me the chance to paint your nails." Mike huffed and turned so his back was against the edge of the bed.

"You should do it, Charlie. You have a great voice." Sarah encouraged.

"And, Michael has been staying up at night to write the song for you two." Luke wrapped his arms around me and I laid my head on his shoulder.

"Why won't you do it?" Calum asked, screwing the nail polish closed. 

"She did a song with Audrey once and Audrey only sang the chorus, which Charlie also sang, and Audrey got signed to a label and Charlie didn't." Sarah explained. I rolled my eyes and lifted my head from Luke's shoulder. 

"That's not the whole reason." I sighed. "Audrey wrote a song about me."

"Do you really want to tell them about this?" Sarah looked at me, worry etched in her skin.

"What's the song?" Michael asked, turning to look at me. I grabbed my phone and pulled up iTunes. 

"It's called  _Tits As Fake As Your Personality_." I pursed my lip and played the song. 

"This song is awful." Ashton laughed. "'You're not even a natural blonde.' That's such an insult." 

"What's insulting is how funny everyone else thinks it is. The other counselors love to laugh about it." I crossed my arms. 

"Babe, the song is so bad it needs to be laughed about. I've had a song written about me, it's not that bad." Mike held my hand gently, rubbing his thumb along my knuckles. "Besides, I'm writing a song about us and it's going to be fantastic."

"I want to hear it." I whispered. Mike looked up at me and smiled softly. 

"We can go for a walk tonight again. I'll bring my guitar and I'll let you hear what I have so far." He kissed my hand gently. The bell for lunch rang and I gathered all the polishes, shoving them into my bag. 

"What's for lunch today?" Calum asked as we trudged up the stairs. 

"I think it's spaghetti? Maybe that's dinner. I don't really care, as long as I get to eat." Luke chuckled and wrapped his arm around my waist as Audrey came into view. I giggled and walked into the mess hall with Luke.

"Luke! Sit with me!" Flora squealed and Luke chuckled.

"You might have to worry more about Flora stealing me than Audrey." Luke whispered to me as we walked over to the table. Luke sat next to Flora and I pulled the out the chair next to Luke. Audrey took a seat in the chair before I could.

"Thanks for pulling my chair out, Charlie, you're such a doll." Audrey smirked up at me. I rolled my eyes and walked over to the table where Michael was sitting with his activity group.

"Did Audrey really just do that?" Michael asked and I nodded. "Can we stop doing this? I believe you now. I know it hurts you to have Audrey butt into things like this."

"Mikey, if we stopped, she'd start doing it with us. I'd rather be able to be with you without Audrey coming between us." I sighed and looked up at him.

"But, if we stopped doing this, I can be with you without having to see you making out with my best friend on the tennis courts." Michael countered.

"Uh, what are you two talking about?" One of the campers at the table asked. 

"Nothing. It's nothing." I blushed lightly and looked at my hands. 

"Are you in love?" One of the little girls asked. Michael's cheeks burned a deep red.

"Ask me that when we're alone." He joked, pouring himself a cup of water. I couldn't tell for sure if he was joking, but I had hoped he was. Luke's words echoed in my mind.  _He falls too fast too soon, and I know how he truly feels about you._ I took a deep breath stood up with the campers when our table was called to get food. 

***

After lunch, I found Luke and we gathered our campers for activity time. "Charlie, who did you sit with at lunch?" Flora asked softly as we walked up to the treehouse. 

"I sat with Michael and his campers, why?" I unlocked the door and walked in.

"Audrey says she's dating Luke, but you and Luke are the ones who hold hands and kiss all the time. Is he cheating on you?" She looked up at me sadly.

"No, Luke isn't cheating. Luke and I aren't dating. I'm dating Michael, I guess? We haven't really labeled it, but we're pretty close." I shrugged and took a seat on the coconut chair. Luke walked over and lifted me up easily before sitting in the chair. 

"This is my spot." He smirked.

"You're immature." I rolled my eyes playfully and sat on his lap. 

"Are you cheating on Michael?" Flora gasped.

"They aren't dating, Michael's just in love with her." Luke shrugged and wrapped his arms around me.

"I'm so confused." Travis rubbed his face.

"Story time!" Luke laughed and squeezed my thigh. "Okay, so Audrey is a bitch who always steals the men that Charlie shows interest in. Charlie and Michael are in love, and Audrey was trying to steal Mike. Charlie and I devised a plan to prove to Michael that Audrey is a conniving bitch. So, Charlie and I started acting like we're in love and Audrey believed us. Now she's trying to steal me."

"And, Michael believes me now, so he wants to stop." I added.

"I thought famous people weren't allowed to date who they choose?" Giselle furrowed her eyebrows.

"We can, but it doesn't usually work out." Luke sighed. "I hope things can work out for Charlie and Mike, though."

"If they're gonna be a couple, they need a ship name." Flora commented. "My vote is on Marlie."

"We aren't going to be a couple, it would never work." I looked down at my lap. "He's on tour for most of the year and the other parts he's off writing or spending time at home. I live in Indiana, we'd never see each other." 

"Move to Australia and you'd get to see him when he came home." Travis suggested.

"I can't move, I have schooling. I'm already done with my first year, I can't transfer now. It'd be too much work." I sighed heavily.

"I think you should talk to Michael about this. If you wanted to be in a relationship, I think you two could work it out." Luke rubbed my arm. "You could go to school and then once summer comes, you can just come on tour with us until school starts again." 

"Luke, I could never go on tour with you guys. You're too busy all the time. There's shows, interviews, signings, meet and greets, studio sessions, there's just too much going on." I leaned my back against his chest and sighed.

"Do you love him?" Luke whispered. 

"I don't know." I whispered back. "I've never been in love before, so I don't know what it feels like."

"How does he make you feel? Describe it to me." Luke continued to rub my arms.

"He just makes me feel so calm and, like, safe. It's like when I'm with him, nothing can ever hurt me." I smiled and looked at my hands.

"You totally love him." Mitchie giggled. 

"As much as I have enjoyed talking about my love life to all of you children, it's time to go down to craft." I smiled and stood up from Luke's lap. I lead the campers down to the craft room and smiled as I saw Michael bringing his campers in. We walked into the room and I let the campers take their seats before choosing my own. Luke and Michael sat on the couches at the other side of the room.

"Let's talk, Mike." I heard Luke say. I didn't want to eavesdrop but I knew they would talk about me. "Tell me, do you love Charlie?" Michael blushed and quietly thanked Amelia as she gave him the string for our craft. 

"I don't know what to call this feeling." Mike smiled and watched as Amelia demonstrated how to make the bracelets. "She's just so beautiful in every way possible. She always talks badly about herself and it kills me, because if she could just see herself the way I see her, I know she'd be so much happier. She makes me feel calm and secure." I had to bite my lip to keep myself from smiling. I pulled the strings together as I worked the bracelet adding a few beads now and then. "She makes me feel like home's not so far away." My heart began thumping in my chest. It was in that moment that I knew I loved Michael Clifford.


End file.
